France and the Vichy Government •
It is not easy to gauge public feeling in France, where free- dom of speech alike in occupied and unoccupied territory is a thing of the past. But such evidences as the recent demonstra- tion in Lyons in favour of Yugoslavia, the Vichy Government's admission that every day young men try to leave for Britain, and reports from various sources indicate a growing sympathy for this country among the people of France. But the move- ment of the Government appears to be in the opposite direction. Admiral Darlan may be more correct in his demeanour, but he is scarcely less anti-British than M. Laval himself, and he appears to be becoming more disposed than ever to active collaboration with Germany. To some extent his position vis-a-vis Germany has been weakened by the fact that the trump card which he held has been kept in reserve too long—his possession of the French Fleet and secure ports in northern Africa. The Nazis have been allowed to make progress in their penetration of Morocco, and it is all too likely that the preparations for this Libyan expedition were partly made from French North Africa. In any case now they are in force in Tripoli, and French colonial territory is no longer safe against future German operations on land. Admiral Darlan has therefore lost much of his bargaining-power, and fear if not inclination may now be a reason for his increas- ing readiness to satisfy Nazi demands.
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